Matting.



7 No. 771,808. PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904.

I A. S. BURNELL.

MATTING.

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a IQ v Ger/aria y p w UNITED STATES Patented October 11 190%.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR S. BURNELL, OF MARSHALLTO\VN, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO QUEEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MARSIIALLTUWN, IOWA, A CORPO- RATl ON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,808, dated October 11, 1904. Application filed September 21, 1903. Serial No- 174,033. No m el- To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ARTHUR S. BURNELL, a resident of the city of Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matting, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention designs to provide improved matting composed of blocks of rubber, composition, or other elastic material and metallic binding-strips, which provide scraping-surfaces and also protect the edges of the blocks from wear, and thus embody in a'composite construction the advantage of noiselessness distinctive of matting of elastic material and the scraping-surfaces and, durability of metallic matting. j

The invention also designs to embody such composite construction in matting consisting of sections flexibly connected, so it can be rolled or folded.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the several novel features of construction hereinafter set forth, and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a mat embodying the preferred form of the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of oneof the elastic blocks. Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the binding-strips. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a modified form of binding-strip, and Fig. 6 is a. plan of another modification.

The matting consists of a plurality of trans verse sections A, each of which comprises a series of blocks or pieces B of suitable material, preferably rubber. composition, pulp, or wood. Blocks B are of similar construction, and each has one of its ends, 6 bifurcated to receive the other end, 7;, of the corresponding block of the next section. The upper and lower faces of the blocks are flat and form tread portions of the matting. A bindingstrip C, of fiat metal, bent to extend around and conform to the shape of each side of the block has straight end portions 0, which fit against the block ends and is provided with perforations c. The edges of the bindingstrips lie in substantially the same plane as the tread portions of the blocks, form scrap ing-surfaces adjacent the block edges, and p rotect the sides of the blocks, so the blocks will not be cut-or worn by the heels of shoes. The

blocks have their central portions formed of suliicient width so the transversely adjacent strips C will abut against and position each other. The blocks form tillingstrips or pieces, which prevent bending of the strips. Eachblock is formed with an opening 1/, extending 6 vertically therethrough, which forms a space for receiving dirt removed from shoes. A metallic strip I), shaped to form a snug lit within and pressed into openings 71* in each block, forms a protective lining for the opening edges.

Transverse pivot-rods E, having heads 0 at each end, extend through perforations 0' in the ends of binding-strips and through perforation b in the blocks of adjacent sections 7 and pivotally connect the sections, so the matting can be rolled or folded. The bindingstrips and blocks extend from top to bottom, so either side of the matting can be used.

The blocks of marginal portions A of each 75 section are connected by separate pivot-rods E to the blocks of the next section. The contiguous binding-strips of the outermost blocks of body portion A and the adjacent blocks of marginal portions A are secured together by from shoes against the edges thereof are bent 5 upwardly, and when the pivots extend from side to side of a mat the rods are also bent upwardly, and thus hold the marginal portions above the floor. By employing independent rods for each portion of a mat the upward 9 strains whereto the marginal portions are subjected do not bend the rods, because the mat is slightly flexible on a longitudinal line between the terminals of rods E and E,that

is, when a marginal portion is strained upwardly the binding-strips, which are secured together by rivets, permit limited upward movement of the marginal portion because these strips having a loose fit around and narrow bearing on the pivot-rods will yield to said strain. and thus permitlongitudinal tloxure without bending the pivot-rods.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in which a single binding-strip C is bent to extend around both sides of a block.

The invention is not to he understood as restricted to the precise construction shown and described, but may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Fig. 6 illustrates a form of the invention in which rectangular blocks 3' have their sides and one end lined by a U-shapcd strip of metal G. The blocks and strips of adjacent sections are alternately arranged, so those of one section space and position those of the next.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters atent, is

1. Matting comprising the combination of a plurality of blocks and binding-strips of fiat metal extending around and protecting the edges of said blocks, the edges of said strips forming scraping-surfaces.

2. Matting formed of a plurality of sections pivotally connected together, and comprising the combination of a plurality of blocks and binding-strips of flat metal extending around and protecting the edges of said blocks, the edges of said strips forming scraping-surfaces. I

meeting the adjacent ends of the blocks and strips.

5. Matting comprising the combination of a plurality of blocks, each having an opening therein, flat metal binding-strips extending around and protecting the edges of said pieces, and lining-strips fitting in said openings.

6. Matting consisting of a plurality of sections, each composed of a plurality of blocks and flat metal binding-strips extending around and protecting the edges of the blocks, each section comprising a body portion and a marginal portion, pivots connecting the blocks of the body portions of adjacent sections and separate pivots connecting the blocks of adjacent sections of the marginal portion, the abutting strips of the body and marginal portions of each section being secured together.

ARTHUR S. BURNELL. \Vitnesscs:

MARTIN F. BALCH, J. C. SPINE. 

